Calling all Phillies players

But manager Charlie Manuel, seemingly wanting to keep the meeting topic a secret, ensured the media that it wasn’t a players-only meeting about their slump (he wouldn’t say what it was though).

Maybe it should have been.

In their last four games, the Phillies are hitting .192 (25-for-130) and have scored only three runs. Their on-base percentage of .255 is equally as pathetic. They struck out 26 times and hit only one home run.

Ask around, though, and this team isn’t flustered, even after getting shut out in three of their last four games, even after leaving 30 guys on base in those contests.

“It’s a long season. It’s a very long season. We’ll turn it around,” hitting coach Milt Thompson said. “We’re going to be alright. We’re not panicking. We’re still going to be loose and relaxed. It’s a one-on-one thing. It’s not a team thing. We all know we’re struggling right now. Just need a pitch to hit. We’ve just got to hit a line drive somewhere, right back to the pitcher. Not to him, through him.”

STOP THE INSANITY

The Phillies need to do something about the stolen bases they’re giving up. In the last two days alone, the Mets have swiped seven.

Not good.

“We gotta start trying to stop it,” Manuel said. “We gotta hold them on better and be quicker to the plate.”

Pitching coach Rich Dubee admitted that the brunt of the load shouldn’t be placed on the catchers.

“Most of them are on the pitcher,” Dubee said.

So are the pitchers going to start slide-stepping to help cut back on the number of stolen bases they’re allowing?

“I’m not going to have Jamie Moyer at 47 years old learn the slide-step,” Dubee said. “I’ve seen so many [gosh darn] slide-steps near the [gosh darn] ballpark. You’re worried about stolen bases and you hang a slider and it goes 40 rows up. You can stick that slide-step as far as I’m concerned.

“We don’t slide-step. Up here it’s awful tough to change your delivery. Cole Hamels isn’t going to be a slide-step guy. He’s gotta throw over there three or four times. We gotta throw out there a few more times. (The Mets are) one of the few teams - San Diego is another - with big stolen base numbers.”

LIDGE CHATTER

Brad Lidge threw a 40-pitch bullpen session today that consisted of fastballs and sliders. Dubee said he might pitch in a rehab game in Clearwater, Fla., on Saturday.

“He threw the ball fine,” Dubee said. “What the hell can I tell from a side session? He’s gotta get between the lines someday and pitch. Then you can tell. He threw fine … fine … fine. Ultra fine. What’s the point on the pens now? Ultra fine?

Expect Lidge, who already passed the 15-day DL requirement, to throw more in more than one minor league game.

“He’ll be back when we think he’s ready to be back,” Dubee said. “if this game is that easy that you can take 2 ½ weeks off and just flip it in a game one time and then we’re going to put him in the game in the ninth inning … that’s pretty tough to do. This is the major leagues the last time I looked around.”

What’s new:In their last eight games, the Phillies have been outscored 37-15 and have been held to one run or fewer five times. During that time, they’re hitting just .182 (10-for-55) with runners in scoring position.

Of note:The Phillies are just 11-9 against NL East opponents this year.

Pre-game quote of the day:“I can get loud every now and then, but I’m not going throw stuff,” Thompson said. “It’s not my nature.I want you to have a level head. You throwing stuff is only going to make things worse.”

Best of Charlie’s chat: “First of all, he shouldn’t have said that,” Manuel said of catcher Carlos Ruiz telling the media that of his sore shoulder. “We don’t want you guys broadcasting that his shoulder’s hurting. I know you guys have to know everything, but there’s a lot of things you don’t have to know. If they don’t know his shoulder’s hurting, then they aren’t as apt to run. If that makes sense….to me it does. I’m not upset that he said it, but at the same time, it’s like not having somebody in the bullpen available and us saying this guy’s not available. Kinda makes it much easier on the guy sitting over there, doesn’t it. “

Stat of the day:Placido Polanco leads the National League with a daytime batting average of .391.

Visiting team tidbits:Mike Pelfrey is one of only 22 active pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched to have never allowed a grand slam.

Mandy, have you heard of Phillies fans trying to order leftover tickets from the Marlins for the Halladay game? I guess that might make a good souvenir for some people, but it does seem to cheapen the overall impact for fans who actually were in attendance. (Kind of like some folks I know who buy old Grateful Dead ticket stubs, even though they weren't there ...)

Listening to the national media, you would think the sky is falling.
Look at it with some common sense.
The SS and 3Bman are out.
The 3-4-5 hitters are in a serious slump.
The Braves have won 18 of 22.
It is amazing the Phillies are only out 2.5 games. It is only June 2nd.
The Braves are going on a long road trip.
Hopefully the Phils can get better at home this weekend.
There is a reason these guys are the best National League team since the Big Red Machine.
My bet is that they will get it turned around and on the right track soon.
Kind of disappointed that the manager has decided to rip the team in the media. It would be better to keep that stuff in the locker room, but then the media would be all over him for doing nothing (Howard Eskin.)
Let's go Phillies! Remember the tough times you band wagon jumpers who become fans in September in time for the playoffs.

They don't steal bases
They don't bunt
They don't keep runners honest
They don't throw runners out
They don't close
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But they make biggie, phattie moniez, often demanding new contracts so they can make even more monies while doing less. Where Ricky Henderson? Where Rollie Fingers? Where Curt Simmons? Where Paul Molitor? Where Bob Gibson? Where Davey Lopes? Uh, oh well.